If your home is anything like ours, discussions of late have centered on the Olympic Games and whom Governor Romney would choose as his VP running mate and the timing of the announcement. Well, speculation is over; almost. This piece is published prior to the official event of the announcement.

Congressman Paul Ryan is an outstanding choice for many different reasons. Those of us that have researched and written to promote Governor Romney for years know him to be a strong, proven conservative leader. Is there any doubt now about his conservative vision for this ticket? No! We know Governor Romney as a man of great courage; Congressman Paul Ryan too is known for bold, assertive leadership. (See YouTube below for a glimpse of how Rep. Ryan is likely to handle any debate with Mr. Biden)

For the next two weeks leading into the Republican National Convention, we will be bombarded with details of Paul Ryan’s politics, leadership, background, families, etc. What do we know of this great American?

Character / Reputation

Ryan is a fighter who will never back away from a good scrap involving truth and he will fiercely defend against any of the many Obama elitist soothsayers and hacks like Burton. He is a passionate conservative – brilliant, articulate, energetic, and hard working. Many conservatives believe Ryan typifies the future of the Republican Party.

Families / Interests

One television news report from last night stated Ryan has 67 cousins living in and around Janesville, WI (his birthplace and current hometown). He is 42 years old, born January 29, 1970 to Paul, Sr. (lawyer) and Elizabeth Ryan. He is the youngest of four children; siblings include his sister Janet and brothers Tobin and Stan. Ryan’s father, grandfather, and great-grandfather all died of heart attacks between the ages of 55 and 59 (his father died when Paul, Jr. was 16). He is of Irish and German ancestry.

The Paul & Janna Ryan Family

Paul Ryan married Janna Little, a tax attorney, almost 12 years ago. They have three children, Liza, Charlie, and Sam. They are Roman Catholic.

Ryan is a fan of the Green Bay Packers, a fitness enthusiast, and a hunter who enjoys hunting with bow and arrows. If he is like my Cheesehead friend, Steve Miller, Ryan considers Wisconsin “God’s Country.”

Education / Political Career

Paul Ryan attended Joseph A. Craig High School and earned a BA at Miami University of Oxford, Ohio in economics and political science (he originally wanted to be an economist). He was first elected as a United States Congressman in 1998 at age 28 and is currently serving in the House in his seventh term. He is chairman of the Committee on the Budget and a member of the Committee on Ways & Means and the Subcommittee on Health.

Representative Ryan is an active and committed mentor to up and coming Republican leaders; he has been instrumental in guiding several individuals in their successful campaigns to elected office at the federal level. He is one of three founders of the Young Guns Program. Prior to his election to the House, he served as a speechwriter to several elected and appointed federal officials.

WASHINGTON — Representative Paul D. Ryan strolls the halls of Capitol Hill with the anarchist band Rage Against the Machine pounding through his earbuds.

At 6:30 every morning, he leads an adoring cast of young, conservative members of Congress through exercise sessions in front of a televised trainer barking out orders. For fun, Mr. Ryan noodles catfish, catching them barehanded with a fist down their throats.

He may be, as a friend described him, “a hunting-obsessed gym rat,” but Mr. Ryan, 42, of Wisconsin, has become perhaps the most influential policy maker in the Republican Party, its de facto head of economic policy, intent on a fundamental transformation of the federal government.

[…]

That is not bad for a man who was once just another minion on Capitol Hill, working for a research group, then for a member of Congress, and moonlighting as a waiter at the Hill hangout Tortilla Coast and as a personal trainer at a gym. Co-workers at the conservative policy group Empower America admonished him for hanging his workout clothes out to dry at work rather than laundering them.

“It’s amazing to all of us because Paul was just an ordinary guy,” said A. Mark Neuman, an old friend.

Rep. Ryan and Governor Romney

Late yesterday, Stephen Hayes and Bill Kristol wrote in The Weekly Standard,

Romney and Ryan bonded as they barnstormed Wisconsin in the days leading up to the state’s decisive April 3 primary. Over the course of their travels together, Ryan went from a small role as the guy who introduced Romney at their first event,to someone who shared the stage with him, taking some of the questions and bantering easily with Romney. The expanded role, Ryan told TWS in May, was Romney’s idea. “He knows how I talk and what I say. And I’m pretty clear about that stuff. I think he’s comfortable with that.”

Thursday, August 9th, the editorial board of The Wall Street Journal published its main opinion column titled, “Why Not Paul Ryan?” – A strong endorsement of Representative Ryan:

Beneath it all you can hear the murmurs of the ultimate Washington insult—that Mr. Ryan is too dangerous because he thinks politics is about things that matter. That dude really believes in something, and we certainly can’t have that.

[…]

The case for Mr. Ryan is that he best exemplifies the nature and stakes of this election. More than any other politician, the House Budget Chairman has defined those stakes well as a generational choice about the role of government and whether America will once again become a growth economy or sink into interest-group dominated decline.

[…]

Personalities aside, the larger strategic point is that Mr. Romney’s best chance for victory is to make this a big election over big issues. Mr. Obama and the Democrats want to make this a small election over small things—Mitt’s taxes, his wealth, Bain Capital. As the last two months have shown, Mr. Romney will lose that kind of election.

To win, Mr. Romney and the Republicans have to rise above those smaller issues and cast the choice as one about the overall direction and future of the country. Americans tell pollsters they are anxious and unhappy precisely because they instinctively know the country is troubled in ways it hasn’t been since the 1970s. They know the economy is growing too slowly to raise middle-class incomes, while the government is growing too fast to be affordable.

Above all, Americans are hungry for leadership. They want leaders willing to take on the hard issues, preferably without the rancor and polarization that have defined Mr. Obama’s Presidency. But they will reward leaders who succeed despite the rancor, as Wisconsin voters showed by their huge turnout in support of Governor Scott Walker this year.

Whatever doubts Americans may have about Mr. Romney’s empathy or background, more of them will turn out for him if they see a leader with a vision and plan worthy of the current difficult moment. This is the kind of candidate and message that voters need to see in the Republican convention this month and into the fall, and it is the message that Mr. Romney’s choice of a running mate should reinforce.

Watch how Rep. Paul Ryan completely dismantles ObamaCare in front of national leaders including President Obama and Vice President Biden; he leaves them virtually speechless:

President Obama whispered to a top fundraiser this week that he believes GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney wants to name Gen. David Petraeus to the VP slot!

“The president wasn’t joking,” the insider explains to the DRUDGE REPORT.

A Petraeus drama has been quietly building behind the scenes.

Romney is believed to have secretly met with the four-star general in New Hampshire.

The pick could be a shrewd Romney choice. A cross-party pull. The Obama administration hailed Petraeus as one of history’s greatest military strategists. Petraeus was unanimously confirmed as the Director of the CIA by the US Senate 94-0.

But Petraeus has categorically asserted that he has NO political ambitions. And Team Obama stands prepared to tie one of their own to “Bush wars.” A Petraeus pick could been seen as simply shuffling the decks of power in DC.

Governor Romney appeared on FOX & Friends (via remote) and is campaigning today with LA Governor Bobby Jindal. After The Gov’s appearance on FOX, Donald Trump phoned in for his usual Monday commentary and spoke for The Gov. Sununu was on Megyn Kelly’s show; Senator John McCain did a phone interview for Romney. And, to top it off, a top Romney aide announced today that a running mate for The Gov could be named by the end of the week.

Steve Doocy: “I read in the Washington Post this morning that you want to draw attention to Obama’s political payoffs versus the middle class layoffs where you say, if you are a donor to the Obama camp you are going to do just fine. However, if you are in the middle class Governor, your camp say, yo got to worry about your job.”

Romney: “There is no question but that when billions upon billions of dollars are given by the Obama Administration to the businesses of campaign contributors, that is a real problem particularly at a time when the middle class is really suffering in this country. I don’t know whether you watched over the weekend, the report that was in The New York Times about families really struggling particularly those that are single parents that are just having a hard time making ends meet. This is a tough time for the people of America. But if you are a campaign contributor to Barack Obama, your business may stand to get billions of dollars or hundreds of millions of dollars in cash from the government. I think it’s wrong. I think it stinks to high heaven and I think the administration has to explain how it is they would consider giving money to campaign contributors’ businesses. ”

Romney Press shop also today released President Obama Has Engaged In Political Payoffs By Rewarding Wealthy Donors And Administration Insiders With Taxpayer Dollars. Read the FACTS here.

• Trump phoned in to say ‘open book’ Obama should release his college applications and records (FOX & Friends):

• Senator John McCain was interviewed on today on Michigan’s Morning Show (WJIM) in Lansing, MI. He was there to discuss Obama’s broken promises (excerpt):

McCain: “This is a President that said if he couldn’t get it done in four years—i.e., restore the economy—then he didn’t deserve a second term. This is a President that’s now saying he should have ‘told a better story’ in his first two years as President? What he really shouldn’t have done is foist off Obamacare on the American people in the sleaziest process that I have ever seen in the United States Senate. You know the Cornhusker Kickback, the Louisiana Purchase. He said he wouldn’t have any lobbyists in the White House? He didn’t. He had them in the Blair House.It’s the worst thing I’ve ever observed and the American people obviously deserved a lot better than what we got today.”

• Reacting to Obama’s refusal to apologize for lies being said about Romney, former New Hampshire Governor John Sununu was on Megyn Kelly’s America Live:

Sununu: “We could be talking about the 24 million unemployed and underemployed. They’re the ones that have problems. When I go to the supermarket and I talk to folks and they want to talk to me about Governor Romney – what they talk to me about the most is the fact that this is the guy that can solve the problem that their son or their daughter – who just graduated from college – can’t find a job on. They want to talk about the fact that they need a president who can solve problems.
…If President Obama thinks he’s gonna escape the reality of him giving contracts to bundlers, contracts to cronies, contracts to people who are represented by former White House staffers – the money that they gave to Solyndra. You didn’t like talk about Solyndra, but it’s a FACT. The Solyndra money was given because there were bundlers involved in the investment – to the Finish car company. THESE ARE ALL REALITIES.”

Please see Luke’s post on topic just prior to this one, below — GREAT comments there too!

Peggy Noonan has been one of my favorite writers for decades now. Most know she was a speech writer for President Reagan, but even without such notable credentials, she is gifted.

Secretary Rice — Photo Credit: AP

In her weekly Op-Ed column in The Wall Street Journal, she describes how she thinks both presidential campaigns are, well, “subdued.”

She ends the editorial with this surprise (referring to one of four items of importance still to learn of the candidates — the fourth being veep choice):

About which a note. Speaking the other day to a gathering of businesspeople from across the country, I mentioned the subdued nature of the election and my thoughts as to its reasons. I was surprised to get no push-back afterward, even from political enthusiasts, only agreement.

But the news: When conversation turned to the vice presidential nominee, I said we all know the names of those being considered, spoke of a few, and then said Condoleezza Rice might be a brilliant choice.

Here spontaneous applause burst forth.

Consider: A public figure of obvious and nameable accomplishment whose attainments can’t be taken away from her. Washington experience—she wouldn’t be learning on the job. Never run for office but no political novice. An academic, but not ethereal or abstract. A woman in a year when Republicans aren’t supposed to choose a woman because of what is now called the 2008 experience—so the choice would have a certain boldness. A black woman in a campaign that always threatens to take on a painful racial overlay. A foreign-policy professional acquainted with everyone who’s reigned or been rising the past 20 years.

I should add here the look on the faces of the people who were applauding. They looked surprised by their own passion. Actually they looked relieved, like a campaign was going on and big things might happen and maybe it could get kind of . . . exciting.

[emphasis added]

There are so many reasons this would be a “brilliant choice” as suggested by Noonan above, in my opinion. She has been thoroughly vetted at the highest level of public opinion. Her credentials of national security and foreign affairs are outstanding. Most important to me is her preparation as an executive leader — indeed, she is a proven executive. If events caused her to become President, she would step in immediately as a strong, tested leader — she would not have to learn on the job as other VP candidates would and as Mr. Obama is still attempting to do (and failing) as POTUS.

American Values: “In God We Trust” — “Liberty” — “E Pluribus Unum”

Twitter Follow: @VicLundquist– Dedicated to all members of The United States military and their families

Thirty-two contenders have been whittled down to just two! Our survivors who will face-off in the last match-up of the VP tournament are Congressman Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, and Senator Marco Rubio of Florida.

Paul and Rubio could not have taken more differing paths on their march to the finals. Paul Ryan’s course matched him up against 4 excellent and currently serving GOP Governors: Jan Brewer (AZ), Nikki Haley (SC), Bob McDonnell (VA) and Chris Christie (NJ). While Rubio’s route was much more varied including a Senator (Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania), a Governor of a U.S. territory (Luis Fortuño of Puerto Rico), a former Secretary of State (Condoleeza Rice), and another fellow Senator (Jim DeMint of South Carolina).

Good luck to Congressman Ryan and Senator Rubio in the last round of voting. The winner will be announced on Monday!

——————————————————————————————

The poll: Whom would you most like to see as Mitt Romney’s VP pick?

The Finalists!

[poll id="80"]

Please note the following:
-This is not an official Mitt Romney website
-This poll is simply for fun and has no bearing on the real selection
-We don’t seek to influence Governor Romney and his campaign with the outcome of our poll

Round 3 recap: It seems the #1 seeds are the heavy favorites no matter where they go. (1)Marco Rubio still pulled out a hefty 81-19 victory over (2)Jim DeMint. The closest round was a 16 point win (58-42) in the (1)Rob Portman vs (3)Jeb Bush match-up.

The #1 seeds have plowed through 3 rounds unscathed, now something will have to give. Put in your votes below, and let us know why you chose your picks in the comments. Have fun!

Please note the following:
-This is not an official Mitt Romney website
-This poll is simply for fun and has no bearing on the real selection
-We don’t seek to influence Governor Romney and his campaign with the outcome of our poll

After a long hiatus I am finally ready to put up round 3 of our Veep Madness poll. I have to apologize, but when real-life work calls I have to submit, and this is the busiest time of year for my work. I will make the final rounds of the tournament move much faster; round 4 will start on Tuesday, and the final round will begin next Friday.

Round 2 recap: Most of the higher seeds won unscathed again this round, with only 2 minor upsets (according to my seeding.) Blowout victories were achieved a second time for (1) Chris Christie, (1) Paul Ryan and (1) Marco Rubio. Though they didn’t dominate quite to the extent that they did in round one I think all 3 faced must more staunch opponents, making their big wins even more impressive. We had the closest win in any competition yet with (2) Jim DeMint squeaking out a 51-49 victory over (3) Mitch Daniels by only a 22 vote margin.

Round 3: The Elite 8 contests feature two #1 vs #2 match-ups, and two #1 vs #3 match-ups. Will any of the #1 seeds fall or will all the #1′s be division champs? Which competition will be the tightest race? Will there be any blowouts? Feel free to comment below.

Please note the following:
-This is not an official Mitt Romney website
-This poll is simply for fun and has no bearing on the real selection
-We don’t seek to influence Governor Romney and his campaign with the outcome of our poll

For about a month, I have been intending to write this piece but didn’t have the courage to write it until today; not until somebody smarter than I wrote what I have been wanting to.

Credit: The Economist

I acknowledge right up front that I will likely anger some people that read this. That is not my intent at all. There is no question that the choice of a vice president by Governor Romney is very important for America as that person could become president in a heartbeat. Absolutely! However, I argue here that there is almost no value whatsoever in publicly speculating and debating who that person will be, many months ahead of when Governor Romney will make the decision. It is a well accepted truth that the selection of a veep has little to no impact in a presidential contest, except in the negative (remember unprepared Palin?).

My assertion is that all public discussion and debate of who Governor Romney’s choice in a running mate will be is a complete and utter waste of time. Especially when considering the many hours a week devoted to this one topic in radio and television talk shows. That said, I believe there are two exceptions to this assertion, both of which I consider to be of minimal value. The two exceptions are:

Entertainment Value

Potential Candidate Response Value

First — the entertainment value. This is the main reason we see all the public speculation and discussion. We all enjoy speculating about everything. It is fun to think about who might be catapulted from a given strata to number two! I love the speculation myself. Heck, Nate developed our site’s “Veep Madness” awhile back — It is brilliant and fun! I see all the public speculation about the veep choice much like using Instagram (I just got it on my Droid). It is fun, a novelty, and a complete waste of time, except for the entertainment value. It is much like watching Modern Family. There is no value in spending time watching Modern Family except being with those you love and to laugh, right?

Second — the potential candidate response value. Since so many possible veep candidates are asked the question, one of them might say something really stupid like, “Are you kidding me? I would love to be picked as vice president by Mitt…I think I am the best person in all of America for that position!” So, there is a little value in the public discussion on this point — very little and that value is as a negative determinant.

Do you trust Governor Romney’s judgment in this decision? I do. What person alive has better analytic skills than Governor Romney? What about judgment? Exactly. Do you think the person he ultimately chooses will be properly vetted? Okay then. What value is there in all the public debate and speculation? There is none. It is pure entertainment value. That’s it. Am I right? Am I wrong?

We’ve entered the silly season when vast numbers of words will be expended on who Mitt Romney’s vice presidential running mate should be. Since the actual announcement is likely to be made shortly before the Aug. 31 GOP convention, we’ll have to endure three-and-a-half months of pundits handicapping prospects.

This exercise is largely useless. Who thought at this point in 2000 that the vice-presidential nominees would be Dick Cheney and Joe Lieberman, or in 2008 Sarah Palin and Joe Biden?

The person who matters most in this decision, Mr. Romney, appears to be approaching it with appropriate seriousness, appointing a longtime trusted aide, Beth Myers, to vet possible running mates.

[emphasis added]

I think Rove is wrong on one point. The exercise is not entirely “useless.” There is entertainment value, right? I mean the sitcom Modern Family makes a lot of money and Instagram is worth $1 billion — so there is value — its not entirely useless! I love to disagree with Karl Rove! Here are two of my favorite lines from Rove’s Op-Ed:

Having played a role in this process, I know that if done well this will be a political proctology exam for each individual considered. [...] This is not an activity for the squeamish or reticent.

Entertaining! And to the point of having almost no influence whether a presidential candidate will win or lose the election?

Running mates haven’t decided an election in more than a half-century. For example, research by Bernard Grofman and Reuben Kline, political scientists at the University of California, Irvine, suggests that the net impact of the vice-presidential picks in 2008 was roughly one-half of one point and is generally less than one percentage point. Presidential elections are rarely that close.

So why do we all spend hours and hours speculating on something of no value? His last sentence wraps the piece well: (more…)